1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to display systems and shelf systems, for example systems used for displaying product in refrigerated display cases.
2. Related Art
Conventional shelving systems, for example those used in refrigerated display cases, have a number of configurations, including fixed or adjustable wire shelves, gravity feed shelving systems, and the like. Many of these shelving systems are relatively difficult to use and are costly to make.
In refrigerated display cases, wire shelves are common and may be stainless steel or plastic or rubber-coated wire. Wire shelves are strong, sturdy and easy to clean. They also permit ventilation of cold or refrigerated air so that all locations in the display case are preferably at the same temperature.
A gravity feed shelving configuration positions one or more shelves on an incline downwardly from the rear to the front of the display case. Inclined or slanted shelving reduces the need for stocking personnel to regularly inspect the shelves and advance product to the front of the shelves. Slanted shelves, at predetermined angles, allow gravity to move product to the front of the shelf. These slanted, gravity-fed shelving arrangements are convenient, but are sometimes difficult to properly position for different product to achieve the appropriate product movement. For example, for beverage containers which are relatively heavy compared to similarly sized packages of dry goods, a lesser incline may be used to adequately advance product on a slanted shelf. However, too much of an incline may apply too much pressure from rearwardly stocked product on the forward-most product, making that product more difficult to remove, and also possibly unintentionally removing or ejecting following product.
Some shelving systems include shelf divider arrangements to improve product alignment on the shelf and to insure proper advancement of product toward the front of the shelf either manually or through gravity feed. These divider arrangements may differ from one shelf system to another, and may not serve the intended function uniformly for different shelf systems.
A shelving system and shelf are disclosed that can be easily assembled and have product guides and gravity advance mechanisms. They may include dividers or product stops to improve product presentation and stocking procedures, and the apparatus may be easily retrofit onto existing shelves.
In one preferred embodiment of one aspect of the present inventions, a shelf assembly is provided which helps to support, guide and insure the desired positioning of product on a shelf. The assembly is sturdy and can be used with a number of different types and sizes of product, including beverage-filled containers such as cans, bottles and cartons, as well as multiple packs of product. In one preferred embodiment, a shelf assembly includes a front product stop having side elements extending rearwardly. The side elements preferably include support portions extending at least partly forwardly for engaging support elements mounted on the shelf. The support portions on the side elements extend at least partly forwardly so that product hitting the front product stop will tend to keep the front product stop engaged with the support elements on the shelf. The shelf assembly is easy to assemble and reliably supports and guides product.
In another embodiment of one aspect of the present inventions, a shelf includes first and second supports supported by the shelf wherein each support includes at least one receiver. A product guide is positioned above the shelf and includes at least one support element for engaging at least one receiver in the support. The at least one support element extends at least partly forwardly relative to the shelf for engaging the receiver. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second supports are removable so they can be used to retrofit existing shelves. Additionally, the first and second supports include multiple receivers so that the product guide can be supported at any number of different levels above the shelf. In another preferred embodiment, a shelf includes four supports so that the product guide is supported on the shelf at four different locations. Each of the supports are preferably removable and include multiple receivers so the product guide can be supported at the same level at each of the four points around the shelf. The supports are preferably held in place on a shelf through fasteners and a backing plate which sandwich a wire or other element on the shelf between the backing plate and the support. Each support preferably includes oval or other eccentric openings for the fasteners to accommodate different-sized wires on the shelf. In a still further embodiment, the shelf assembly can include a divider extending rearwardly from the front product stop to a rear product stop. Preferably, the divider engages the front product stop from behind and engages the rear product stop from behind. In this configuration, it is more difficult for product movement to disengage the divider.
In accordance with another aspect of one of the present inventions, a roller assembly for a shelf or other product or item support includes a roller support having at least one wall forming an axle support wall and having an outwardly extending projection for engaging a surface of a shelf. A roller has an axle that rests in and is supported by the axle support wall. The roller support preferably retains the roller and is in turn held in place on a shelf in part through the engagement of the projection with the surface of the shelf. Preferably, the projection engages an underside of the shelf surface and inhibits the roller assembly from lifting off of the shelf.
In one preferred aspect of one of the present inventions, the roller support is a roller tray supporting a number of rollers so that product placed on the shelf can easily move toward the front of the shelf on the rollers. In many instances, the shelf is a wire shelf and the roller tray has projections on each side of the tray for contacting respective portions of the shelf, and the projections extend a substantial portion of a length of the tray.
In another aspect of one of the present inventions, an opening is formed in the tray to allow the tray to fit over support wires or other support elements formed in the shelf. More than one opening may be formed in the tray, for example in regular intervals, to accommodate multiple support elements, or to allow positioning of the tray on different shelves having support elements located at different positions.
In another aspect of one of the present inventions, a shelf and roller assembly are provided wherein the shelf has at least first and second side elements defining at least one longitudinally extending opening. A roller support includes a first roller support side having an inner and outer sides, the outer side including at least one projection extending outwardly away from the roller support for contacting a lower surface of the first side element of the shelf. The roller support also includes a first shelf contact surface such as a flange, lip, ledge or shoulder for contacting the first side element of the shelf for helping to prevent the roller support from passing completely through the opening. The projection on the roller support helps to keep the roller support in the opening in the shelf. Where the shelf is a wire shelf, the first shelf contact surface rests on top of a wire and the projection contacts a lower portion of the wire to help keep the roller support in place. In one preferred embodiment, the first shelf contact surface and projections extend the length of the roller support. Where the roller support is a closed-bottomed tray, channels or openings are formed in a bottom of the tray to accommodate support structures of the shelf. In another embodiment, the rollers include axles that are supported below the first shelf contact surface and in the region of the projections. This allows the rollers to be positioned relatively high in the tray, while keeping the rollers in place and reducing the possibility that the rollers work loose.
In another aspect of one of the present inventions, rollers are used in the tray having grooved or slotted circumferential surfaces. Such rollers can be placed closer together so that product or other items can more easily roll over the tops of the rollers. Such inter-fitting rollers would present less of a gap or a shorter gap between rollers, reducing the likelihood that the edge of a product might dip down between rollers, causing the product to tip or fall. Grooved rollers are preferably supported on axles above a flange resting on the surface of the shelf.
In another aspect of the inventions, a shelf is provided for supporting and displaying products. It includes a substantially planar shelf portion and a laterally extending element extending across the front, rear or other portion of the shelf and having a number of engagement surfaces for engaging the product support. The laterally extending element may be an aperture bar extending across the front of the shelf, and the product support may be a divider or other bar or wire for positioning product or making it easier to move product on the shelf. The aperture bar may be adjustably fixed to the shelf so that the bar may be raised, lowered or otherwise repositioned as desired. The aperture bar preferably accepts and holds in position one or more dividers having hooks, prongs or other mounting elements for engaging the aperture bar. The aperture bar can also serve as a product stop at the front of the shelf. An aperture bar can also be placed at the rear of the shelf for holding one or more dividers and also for minimizing the possibility of product being pushed off the rear of the shelf. In one preferred embodiment, the product stop is mounted so that movement of product will tend to ensure that the product stop and any dividers remain engaged.
These and other aspects of the present inventions will be more fully understood after a consideration of the brief description of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.